


What Is A Pulsar

by Heliopause Entertainments (sleepy_wrestler)



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Crack, M/M, Multi, Pedantry, Pranks and Practical Jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 13:02:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30022191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepy_wrestler/pseuds/Heliopause%20Entertainments
Summary: In which Rodimus sets a trap for his partners who both have the unshakeableneedto be right.Originally posted as aTumblr prompt.
Relationships: Megatron/Minimus Ambus (Transformers), Megatron/Minimus Ambus/Rodimus | Rodimus Prime, Megatron/Rodimus | Rodimus Prime, Megatron/Rodimus | Rodimus Prime/Ultra Magnus, Megatron/Ultra Magnus (Transformers), Minimus Ambus/Rodimus | Rodimus Prime, Rodimus | Rodimus Prime/Ultra Magnus
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	What Is A Pulsar

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PretzelBaron](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PretzelBaron/gifts).



One of the bonuses of having asked Brainstorm and Perceptor to put together a holomatter projector room in one of the spare, unused rooms on the ship was that Rodimus had administrator-level access to its programming. This power could be used for good or ill, but mostly he had intended to use it for the best purpose of all: mischief.

* * *

Megatron and Minimus regularly took time to visit the holomatter projector room in their off-hours. It was a great tool to aid discussion. It could be programmed to project museums or be used to assist with visualizing, and of course nitpicking, a piece of literature. Rodimus had commissioned the room to assist the crew with cabin fever and homesickness. It was incredibly thoughtful. Perhaps _too thoughtful_ if Megatron really considered it. Still, he tried not to think about it.

Today, however, Rodimus had decided to join them. A spur of the moment decision, but no one could really find a reason to complain. The three of them hardly spent alone time together as it was. They were usually pulled apart for leadership duties and bridge shifts. Perhaps forming a triad out of members of the command crew hadn’t been the best idea, but they generally made it work.

In an attempt to make the visit more interesting for their easily bored Rodimus, Minimus had suggested they pull up a planetarium program, which Megatron keyed into the control panel on the wall. The lights dimmed slightly and an array of stars and clusters of gas filled the room. “What would you like to see first?” he called over his shoulder, figuring he would be in charge of operating the program this time.

“How about a pulsar?” Minimus suggested, standing nearby.

Hm.

A bright, fast-moving stellar remnant. That should keep Rodimus’ interest. He was already standing off in the corner, so they didn’t have much time to keep him engaged. Glancing over, however, Megatron noticed he was, in fact, smirking. Suspicious.

“Very well,” he said, turning back to the control panel to key in a known pulsar. The lighting shifted, the edges of the room dark while the center filled with the image of a rapidly rotating white orb, almost too bright to look at. The effect had been scaled down so that they could more comfortably observe it.

“Megatron, I thought we said a ‘pulsar.’”

He turned away from the panel and gestured at the spinning core with an outstretched arm. “That _is_ a pulsar, Minimus.”

“No, no, that’s a _quark star_. The neutrons are under enough pressure with a high enough temperature that they’ve degenerated into quarks.”

“Well, actually—” Megatron was cut off. The stellar core vanished from their midst, replaced by a dark room, flashing lights, and music loud enough to cause his audio processor to reset from the pulses of pain. This was a simulation of a raucous rave!

Rodimus burst out cackling in his corner of the room. Meanwhile Minimus shoved himself between a wincing Megatron and the control panel in an attempt to stop this madness. With a few well—placed commands, the planetarium’s galactic overview image had returned. Megatron grumbled and rubbed his palms over the sides of his helmet in an attempt to sooth the rebooting audio sensors.

“What in the void was _that_?”

In the corner, Rodimus’ cackling had devolved into a quite chuckling as he tried to contain his giggles.

“Language! But I’m not sure, but let’s try an _actual_ pulsar this time, hm?” Minimus could be quite the smart aleck when he felt like it. Normally it was endearing. Instead of a verbal response, Megatron simply waved his assent before the green minibot started tapping in the appropriate commands.

The room filled with another spinning orb of light, the sound of the object’s insanely fast rotation crackling in the air.

“Minimus, why this is _technically_ a type of pulsar, it’s an _atypical_ example.”

“ _Excuse me?_ ”

“Well, actually it’s a _magnetar_ —”

The star was erased, replaced once more by the thumping heavy beat of the simulated rave. Rodimus could just barely be heard hitting the floor with hysterical laughter nearby.

So this was _his_ fault. He’d set a trap for his notoriously pedantic partners. All he had to do was wait.


End file.
